FO371-23516 — Page 189

Page 189

Page 189

3

236

1938

of the British community at Changsha when the city was

partially destroyed by fire some time ago, and even just

recently, accounts have appeared in the Press of their

co-operation in the evacuation of British subjects from

Kuling.

The accusations against the Rear-Admiral, Yangtse,

his

is a travesty of the truth (whose movements are summarised

on the attached sheet). From December 1937 onwards he was

at Hankow or in the neighbourhood continuously until

conditions had settled down after the capture of the city

in October. He did not come down river until the latter

part of December 1938 arriving at Shanghai on the 24th of

that month. Since then he has been up to Nanking and back

again, and is at the present time contemplating a return

journey up the river. As evidence of the work which he

has been doing, a reference may be made to the expression

of appreciation recently received in the Hankow Chamber of

Commerce, of which a copy is attached. ́

"

If it should prove impossible to avoid the

particular issue of the frequency of movements up and down

the river, a reply on the following lines is suggested:-

The gunboats above the fighting zone can hardly

expect to get down or to be relieved, as either operation

would involve traversing the front lines of both opposi

oppositign

forces. The essential requirement, however, is that the

gunboats should be on the spot where there are British lives

and property to protect. These gunboats are on the spot,

and will continue on the spot, even though their means of

communication with the outside world, even for the relief

of personnel, are very slender. In the lower reaches

of the river, the gunboats move with comparative frequency

between Shanghai on the one hand and Wuhu and Nanking on

the other. Between Nanking and Hankow, movements have

admittedly

Page 189

Page 189

Page 189